Thursday, March 01, 2007

The Top 20 Most Influential Sports Bloggers

Prepare yourself for some mind-caving navel-gazing, because Jamie Mottram and I have created a Bizarro version of Sports Business Journal's 20 most influential online sports media execs.

Since jumping from mainstream media into the sports-blog universe (six months ago today!), I have spent an unhealthy amount of time immersed in it. A few months ago, I was inspired to create a ranking of the most influential sports bloggers – totally subjective, but certainly based on what I was seeing, reading and hearing.

20. Bob Kellett, WorldCupBlog and The Offside: Amazing traffic every four years (11 million page views in June '06) and now a popular daily presence.

* - Full disclosure: Also writes for AOL Fanhouse, which is the group blog Jamie oversees.

It's worth pointing out: The depth of quality in sports blogging is phenomenal. The leap that has been made even in the last 18 months – or even the last year – has effectively allowed sports blogs, as a whole, to become as much of a fundamental part of fan consumption as ESPN or their local newspaper coverage. (And of all sports-media outlets, blogs have, by far, the most exciting growth prospects. Consider how many names on this list didn't even EXIST 6-to-18 months ago.)

Have there been omissions here? Are we blinded by our biases? Most definitely -- and we apologize if you or your favorite blog(s) aren't listed here. It's just two guys' opinion. One thing you'll notice is that most of the names below cover sports "nationally," rather than at the team-specific level. There are some wildly talented team-specific bloggers out there. And there are certainly other extremely good "national" bloggers out there. But, like any overreaching "list" ranking, it's a stake in the ground and a START to the discussion, more than anything else.

The only definitive analysis is that there is so much talent pushing up through the pipeline that a year from now, we both expect that there will be dramatic shifts on this list. What really separates sports blogs from traditional sports media is that it's far closer to a meritocracy: The best stuff – the fastest take, the freshest angle, the most prolific posts – tends to create its own influence.

-- D.S. and Jamie Mottram

UPDATE: Glaring Omissions.OK, so as readers (and bloggers) have responded as we expected, with the natural reaction being, "How could you not list X?!" So we're going to maintain a running list of "Glaring Omissions." We're not admitting that we screwed up, but we acknowledge that this isn't an exact science and that the blogosphere is a big effing place. Watch this space for updates.

@ Rev: Sorry, don't read KSK too often - I respect their work, I'm just not that big a fan of NFL. I'll make sure to search their archives, though, just in case I ever mistakingly have an original thought again.

It would be interesting to do a similar analysis of the sports blogging industry in other countries, with a view to compiling a global version of this list. Anyone want to nominate a blog from somewhere further afield?

Overheard conversation between the ranking powers and Jordi of The Serious Tip:

Jordi: I got news for you Mr. Shanoff and Mr. Mottram, you haven't heard the last of me. You guys may think I'm shit now, but someday you're gonna be sorry you didn't list me. I'm gonna keep writing on my site and every time that I write I'm gonna stick it up your f***in' a**!

(Throws keyboard against locker.)

Dan and Jamie: Good, we like that kind of spirit in a blogger. The only problem is we did list you.

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This list is missing two of the standouts in the hockey world. Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy is the best in the business. And for a more lighthearted take on hockey, there is none better than Sean McIndoe of Down Goes Brown (and occasionally Grantland).

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.